1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems of assembling computers and more particularly pertains to a new system for assembling computers that provides a favorable import duty classification for computer subassemblies while also facilitating the completion of the assembly of the computer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The laws of the United States impose tariffs, in the form of duties, on certain products imported from other countries into the United States, and other countries may impose much the same on products being imported into those countries. In the United States, these duties are imposed pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Trade Agreements Act (TAA) of 1979; 19 U.S.C. 1401a(g)), although other laws may also be pertinent to the levying of duties on products entering the country. One manner of avoiding, or at least reducing, the amount of the duty imposed when the products are brought into the United States is to change the tariff classification of the product as it enters the United States. One technique for accomplishing that purpose is to import into the United States substantially complete subassemblies that have been assembled in a foreign country, and then finish or complete the products once the subassemblies arrive in the United States.
In order for a computer to be considered to have been completed or finished in the United States under the various applicable laws and rules (such as those promulgated, applied, and enforced by the United States Customs Service), computer parts or subassemblies that are imported into the United States must undergo a “significant transformation” into a completed computer product once the various parts and subassemblies have been brought into the United States. Thus, under the existing rules, significant portions of a computer may be assembled outside of the borders of the United States and still be considered incomplete or unfinished when imported in the United States if the computer subassembly is not functional as a computer, and thus cannot be classified as an Automatic Data Processing (ADP) machine as defined by the applicable Unites States regulations. Final assembly may then be performed in the United States.
As a result of the tariff structure, subassemblies of computers have been imported into the United States in various states of assembly that have been interpreted as being not functional as an ADP machine, and therefore are incomplete or unfinished under the applicable trade regulations. This practice thus takes advantage of the relatively lower assembly costs in other countries while avoiding additional duties as the products are brought into the country, which would otherwise reduce the cost-savings advantage.
Various ways have been devised to provide a computer subassembly that is as fully assembled as possible while still being non-functional within the interpretation of the tariff laws. For the manufacture of desktop computers and notebook computers, a fairly common way of achieving compliance with the tariff regulations is for the computer to be imported in a substantially fully assembled condition but lack the central processing unit (CPU) integrated circuit chip, which is then inserted into a socket on the motherboard of the computer subassembly once the subassembly arrives in the United States. Other techniques have included the post-importation installation of other components of the computer that, without which, the computer is incapable of operating to input data, process data, and output data.
As computers have become more compact and more lightweight, however, the ability to make these final and completing additions to the computers has been stymied by the close proximity and packing of these components in the computer housing. This is especially true for portable computers. Another complicating factor is that, as the designs for portable computers have become relatively lighter and smaller, the manner of installing the CPU chip has evolved from socket-based mountings to more permanent soldered mountings to reduce internal component height and footprint, which contributes to an overall reduction in the size of the computer chassis. These mountings have made it more difficult, if not relatively impossible, to add the CPU in a highly economical manner after the computer is substantially completely assembled.
Further, access panels and doors are known on portable computers for accessing CPUs, memory cards, wireless communication and modem circuit cards, and hard disk drives, among other components, and the number of access doors on any one portable computer often includes up to four or five (or more). This plethora of access doors generally increases the potential points for radiation leakage from the interior of the computer which may cause radio frequency and electromagnetic interference, especially when the panels are relatively large.
Thus, there exists a need for a simpler and more economical system for completing assembly of computer subassemblies in a manner such that the subassemblies are considered incomplete and unfinished when imported into the United States under applicable tariff regulations but do not stymie the use of the most compact processors and packaging for the portable computer.